 Book 9, chapters 1 through 3 of the Antiquities of the Jews, volume 2. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Anne Boulet. The Antiquities of the Jews, volume 2, by Flavius Josephus, translated by William Wiston. Book 9, chapters 1 through 3. Book 9, containing the interval of 157 years, from the death of Ahub to the captivity of the ten tribes. Chapter 1, concerning Jehoshaphat again, how he constituted judges and, by God's assistance, overcame his enemies. When Jehoshaphat the king was come to Jerusalem, from the assistance he had afforded Ahub, the king of Israel, when he fought with Ben-Hadad, king of Syria, the prophet Jehu met him and accused him for assisting Ahub, a man both impious and wicked, and said to him that God was displeased with him for doing so, but that he delivered him from the enemy, not withstanding he had sinned, because of his own proper disposition, which was good. Whereupon the king betook himself to thanksgivings and sacrifices to God, after which he presently went over all that country which he ruled round about, and taught the people, as well as the laws which God gave them by Moses, as that religious worship that was due to him. He also constituted judges in every one of the cities of his kingdom, and charged them to have regard to nothing so much in judging the multitude as to do justice, and not to be moved by bribes, nor by the dignity of men eminent for either their riches or their high birth, but to distribute justice equally to all, as knowing that God is conscious of every secret action of theirs. When he had himself instructed them thus, and gone over every city of the two tribes, he returned to Jerusalem. He there also constituted judges out of the priests and the Levites, and principal persons of the multitude, and admonished them to pass all their sentences with care and justice. And that if any of the people of his country had differences of great consequence, they should send them out of the other cities to these judges, who would be obliged to give righteous sentences concerning such causes. And this with the greater care, because it is proper that the sentences which are given in that city, wherein the temple of God is, and wherein the king dwells, be given with great care and the utmost justice. Now he set over them Amoriah the priest, and Zebediah, both of the tribe of Judah, and after this manner it was that the king ordered these affairs. About the same time the Moabites and Ammonites made an expedition against Jehoshaphat, and took with them a great body of Arabians, and pitched their camp at Angedai, a city that is situated at the lake Asphaltiras, and distanced 300 furlongs from Jerusalem. In that place grows the best kinds of palm trees, and the opal basalam. Now Jehoshaphat heard that the enemies had passed over the lake, and had made an eruption into that country which belonged to his kingdom, at which news he was affrighted, and called the people of Jerusalem to a congregation in the temple, and standing over against the temple itself, he called upon God to afford him power and strength, so as to inflict punishment on those that made this expedition against them, for that those who built this his temple had prayed, that he would protect that city, and take vengeance on those that were so bold to come against it. For they are come to take from us the land which thou hast given us for a possession. When he had prayed thus, he fell into tears, and the whole multitude, together with their wives and children, made their supplications also, upon which a certain prophet, Jehazil by name, came into the midst of the assembly, and cried out, and spake both to the multitude and to the king, that God heard their prayers, and promised to fight against their enemies. He also gave order that the king should draw his forces out the next day, for that he should find them between Jerusalem and the ascent of Angedai, at a place called the Eminence, and that he should not fight against them, but only stand still, and see how God would fight against them. When the prophet had said this, both the king and the multitude fell upon their faces, and gave thanks to God, and worshipped him, and the Levites continued singing hymns to God with their instruments of music. As soon as it was day, and the king was come into that wilderness which is under the city of Tekkoa, he said to the multitude, that they ought to give credit to what the prophet has said, and not to set themselves in array for fighting, but to set the priests with their trumpets, and the Levites with the singers of hymns, to give thanks to God, as having already delivered our country from our enemies. This opinion of the king pleased the people, and they did what he advised them to do. So God caused a terror and a commotion to arise among the Ammonites, who thought one another to be enemies, and slew one another, in so much that not one man out of so great an army escaped, and when Jehoshaphat looked upon that valley wherein their enemies had been encamped, and saw it full of dead men, he rejoiced it so surprising an event, as was this assistance of God, while he himself by his own power, and without their labor, had given them the victory. He also gave his army lead to take the prey of the enemy's camp, and to spoil their dead bodies, and indeed so they did for three days together, till they were weary, so great was the number of the slain, and on the fourth day, all the people were gathered together unto a certain hollow place, or valley, and blessed God for his power and assistance, from which the place had this name given it, the valley of Baraka, or blessing. When the king had brought his army back to Jerusalem, he betook himself to celebrate festivals, and offer sacrifices, and this for many days, and indeed after this destruction of their enemies, and when it came to the ears of the foreign nations, they were all greatly affrighted, as supposing that God would openly fight for him hereafter. So Jehuzaphat from that time lived in great glory and splendor, on account of his righteousness and his piety towards God. He was also in friendship with Ahub's son, who was king of Israel, and he joined with him in the building of ships that were to sail to Pontus, and the traffic cities of Thrace, but he failed in his gains, for the ships were destroyed by being so great and unwieldy. On which account he was no longer concerned about shipping, and this is the history of Jehuzaphat, the king of Jerusalem. Chapter 2. Concerning Ahazia, the king of Israel, and again concerning the prophet Elijah. And now Ahazia, the son of Ahub, reigned over Israel and made his abode in Samaria. He was a wicked man, and in all respects liked to both his parents and to Jeroboam, who first of all transgressed and began to deceive the people. In the second year of his reign, the king of Moab fell off from his obedience and left off paying those tributes which he before paid to his father Ahub. Now it happened that Ahazia, as he was coming down from the top of his house, fell down from it and in his sickness sent to the fly, which was the God of Ekron, for that was this God's name, to inquire about his recovery. But the God of the Hebrews appeared to Elijah the prophet and commanded him to go and meet the messengers that were sent, and to ask them whether the people of Israel had not a God of their own that the king sent to a foreign God to inquire about his recovery, and to bid them return and tell the king that he would not escape this disease. And when Elijah had performed what God had commanded him, and the messengers had heard what he said, they returned to the king immediately. And when the king wondered how they could return so soon, and asked them the reason of it, they said a certain man met them and forbade them to go on any further, but to return and tell thee, from the command of the God of Israel, that this disease will have a bad end. And when the king bid them describe the man that had said this to them, they replied that he was a hairy man, and was gird about with a girdle of leather. So the king understood by this, that the man who was described by the messengers was Elijah, whereupon he sent a captain to him, with fifty soldiers, and commanded them to bring Elijah to him. And when the captain was sent, found Elijah sitting upon the top of a hill, he commanded him to come down and to come to the king, for so had he enjoined, but that in case he refused, they would carry him by force. Elijah said to him, that you may have a trial whether I be a true prophet. I will pray that fire may fall from heaven, and destroy both the soldiers and yourself. So he prayed, and a whirlwind of fire fell from heaven, and destroyed the captain, and those that were with him. And when the king was informed of the destruction of these men, he was very angry, and sent another captain with a like number of armed men that were sent before. And when this captain also threatened the prophet, that unless he came down of his own accord, he would take him and carry him away. Upon his prayer against him, the fire from heaven slew this captain as well as the other. And when upon inquiry, the king was informed of what happened to him, he sent out a third captain. But when this captain, who was a wise man and of mild disposition, came to the place where Elijah happened to be, and spake civilly to him, and said that he knew that it was without his own consent, and only in submission to the king's command that he came to him, and that those came before did not come willingly, but on the same account. He therefore desired him to have pity on those armed men that were with him, and that he would come down and follow him to the king. So Elijah accepted of his discrete words and courteous behavior, and came down and followed him. And when he came to the king, he prophesied to him and told him that God said, since thou hast despised him as not being God, and so unable to foretell the truth about thy distemper, but hast sent to the God of Ekron to inquire of him what will be the end of this thy distemper. Know this that thou shalt die. Accordingly the king in a very little time died, as Elijah had foretold. But Jehoram his brother succeeded him in the kingdom, for he died without children. But for this Jehoram, he was like his father Ahab in wickedness, and he had been in the kingdom for 12 years, indulging himself in all sorts of wickedness and impiety towards God. For, leaving off his worship, he worshipped foreign gods. But in other respects, he was an active man. Now at this time it was that Elijah disappeared from among men, and no one knows of his death to this very day. But he left behind him his disciple, Elisha, as we have formerly declared. And indeed, as to Elijah, and as to Enoch, who was before the deluge, it is written in the sacred books that they disappeared, but so that nobody knew that they died. Chapter three, how Jehoram and Jehoshaphat made an expedition against the Moabites, as also concerning the wonders of Elisha and the death of Jehoshaphat. When Jehoram had taken upon him the kingdom, he determined to make an expedition against the king of Moab, whose name was Mesha. For, as we told you before, he was departed from his obedience to his brother, Ahaziah. While he paid to his father Ahab 200,000 sheep with their fleeces of wool. When therefore he had gathered his own army together, he sent also to Jehoshaphat and entreated him that since he had from the beginning been a friend to his father, he would assist him in the war that he was entering into against the Moabites, who had departed from their obedience, who not only himself promised to assist him, but also obliged the king of Edon, who was under his authority to make the same expedition also. When Jehoram had received these assurances of assistance from Jehoshaphat, he took his army with him and came to Jerusalem. And when he had been sumptuously entertained by the king of Jerusalem, it was resolved upon by them to take their march against their enemies through the wilderness of Edom. And when they had taken a compass of seven days journey, they were in distress for want of water for the cattle and for the army from the mistake of their roads by the guys that conducted them in so much that they were all in an agony, especially Jehoram, and cried to God by reason of their sorrow and desired to know what wickedness had been committed by them that induced him to deliver three kings together without fighting unto the king of Moab. But Jehoshaphat, who was a righteous man, encouraged him and bade him send to the camp and know whether any prophet of God was come along with them, that we might by him learn from God what we should do. And when one of the servants of Jehoram said that he had seen there Elisha, the son of Shaphat, the disciple of Elijah, the three kings went to him at the entreaty of Jehoshaphat. And when they were come at the prophet's tent, which tent was pitched out of the camp, they asked him what would become of the army. And Jehoram was particularly very pressing with him about it. And when he replied to him that he should not trouble him, but go to his father's and mother's prophets, for they to be sure were true prophets, he still desired him to prophesy and to save them. So he swore by God that he would not answer him, unless it were on account of Jehoshaphat, who was a holy and righteous man. And when at his desire, they brought him a man that could pray on the psaltery. The divine spirit came upon him as the music played, and he commanded them to dig many trenches in the valley. For he said, though there appear neither cloud nor wind nor storm of rain, ye shall see this river full of water, till the army and the cattle be saved for you by drinking of it. Nor will this be all the favor that you shall receive from God, but you shall also overcome your enemies and take the best and strongest cities of the Moabites, and you shall cut down their fruit trees and lay waste their country and stop up their fountains and rivers. When the prophet had said this the next day before the sun rising, a great torrent ran strongly, for God had caused it to rain very plentifully at the distance of three days journey into Edom, so that the army and the cattle found water to drink in abundance. But when the Moabites heard that the three kings were coming upon them and made their approach through the wilderness, the king of Moab gathered his army together presently and commanded them to pitch their camp upon the mountains, that when the enemies should attempt to enter their country, they might not be concealed from them. But when at the rising of the sun they saw the water in the torrent, for it was not far from the land of Moab, that it was the color of blood, for at such a time the water especially looks red by the shining of the sun upon it. They formed a false notion of the state of their enemies, as if they had slain one another for thirst, and that the river ran with their blood. However, supposing that this was the case, they desired their king would send them out to spoil their enemies, whereupon they all went in haste, as to an advantage already gained, and came to the enemy's camp, as supposing them destroyed already. But their hope deceived them, for as their enemies stood round about them, some of them were cut to pieces, and others of them were dispersed, and fled to their own country. And when the kings fell into the land of Moab, they overthrew the cities that were in it, and spoiled their fields, and marred them, filling them with stones out of the brooks, and cut down the best of their trees, and stopped up their fountains of water, and overthrew their walls to their foundations. But the king of Moab, when he was pursued, endured a siege, and seeing his city in danger of being overthrown by their force, made a sally, and went out with seven hundred men, in order to break through the enemy's camp with his horsemen, on that side where the watch seemed to be kept most negligently. And when, upon trial, he could not get away, for he lighted upon a place that was carefully watched. He returned into the city, and did a thing that showed despair and the utmost distress, for he took his eldest son, who was to reign after him, and lifting him up upon the wall, that he might be visible to all the enemies. He offered him as a whole burnt offering to God. Whom, when the king saw, they commiserated the distress that was the occasion of it, and were so affected, in way of humanity and pity, that they raised the siege, and everyone returned to his own house. So Jehoshaphat came to Jerusalem, and continued in peace there, and outlived this expedition but a little time, and then died, having lived in all sixty years, and of them reigned twenty-five. He was buried in a magnificent manner in Jerusalem, for he had imitated the actions of David. End of book nine, chapters one through three. Book nine, chapter four of the Antiquities of the Jews, volume two. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Ann Boulet. The Antiquities of the Jews, volume two. By Flavius Josephus. Translated by William Wiston. Book nine, chapter four. Chapter four. Jehoram succeeds Jehoshaphat. How Joram, his namesake, king of Israel, fought with the Syrians, and what wonders were done by the prophet Elisha. Jehoshaphat had a good number of children, but he appointed his eldest son Jehoram to be his successor, who had the same name as his mother's brother. That was king of Israel, and the son of Ahab. Now when the king of Israel was come out of the land of Moab to Samaria, he had with him Elisha the prophet, whose acts I have a mind to go over particularly, for they were illustrious and worthy to be related, as we have them set down in the sacred books. For they say that the widow Obadia, Ahab Stuart, came to him and said, that he was not ignorant how her husband had preserved the prophets that were to be slain by Jezebel, the wife of Ahab. For she said that she hid a hundred of them, and had borrowed money for their maintenance, and that, after her husband's death, she and her children were carried away to be made slaves by the creditors, and she desired of him to have mercy upon her on account of what her husband did, and afford her some assistance. And when he asked her what she had in the house, she said, nothing but a very small quantity of oil in a cruise. So the prophet bid her go away, and borrow a great many empty vessels of her neighbors, and when she had shut her chamber door to pour the oil into them all, for that God would fill them full. And when the woman had done what she was commanded to do, and bade her children bring every one of the vessels, and all were filled, and not one left empty, she came to the prophet, and told him that they were all full. Upon which he advised her to go away and sell the oil, and pay the creditors what was owing them, for that there would be some surplus of the price of the oil, which she might make use of for the maintenance of her children. And thus did Alisha discharge the woman's debts, and free her from the vexation of her creditors. Alisha also sent a hasty message to Joram, and exhorted him to take care of that place, for that therein were some Syrians lying in ambush to kill him. So the king did as the prophet exhorted him, and avoided his going a hunting. And when Ben Haddad missed of the success of his lying in ambush, he was wroth with his own servants, as if they had betrayed his ambush to Joram, and he sent for them and said that they were betrayers of his secret counsels, and he threatened that he would put them to death. Since such their practice was evident, because he had entrusted this secret to none but them, and yet it was made known to his enemy. And one that was present said that he should not mistake himself, nor suspect that they had discovered to his enemy his sending men to kill him, but that he ought to know that it was Alisha the prophet who discovered all to him, and laid open all his counsels. So he gave order that they should send some to learn in what city Alisha dwelt. Accordingly, those that were sent brought word that he was in Dotham, wherefore Ben Haddad sent to that city a great army, with horses and chariots, to take Alisha. So they encompassed the city round about at night, and kept him therein confined. But when the prophet's servant in the morning perceived this, and that his enemies sought to take Alisha, he came running and crying out after a disordered manner to him, and told him of it. But he encouraged him and bid him not be afraid, and to despise the enemy, and trust in the assistance of God, and was himself without fear. And he besought God to make manifest to his servant his power and presence, so far as was possible, in order to the inspiring him with hope and courage. Accordingly, God heard the prayer of the prophet and made the servant see a multitude of chariots and horses and company, Alisha, till he laid aside his fear, and his courage revived at the sight of what he supposed was come to their assistance. After this, Alisha did further entreat God, that he would dim the eyes of their enemies, and cast a mist before them, whereby they might not discern him. When this was done, he went into the midst of his enemies, and asked them who it was they came to seek. And when they replied, the prophet Alisha. He promised he would deliver him to them, if they would follow him to the city where he was. So these men were so darkened by God in their sight and in their mind, that they followed him very diligently. And when Alisha had brought them to Samaria, he ordered Jorum the king to shut the gates, and to place his own army round about them, and prayed to God to clear the eyes of these their enemies, and take the mist from before them. Accordingly, when they were freed from the obscurity they had been in, they saw themselves in the midst of their enemies. And as the Syrians were strangely amazed and distressed, as was but reasonable, and in action so divine and surprising, and as King Jorum asked the prophet if he would give him leave to shoot at them, Alisha forbade him so to do, and said that, it is just to kill those that were taken in battle, but that these men had done the country no harm, but without knowing it were come thither by the divine power, so that his counsel was to treat them in a hospitable manner at his table, and then send them away without hurting them. Wherefore Jorum obeyed the prophet, and when he had feasted the Syrians in a splendid and magnificent manner, he let them go to Ben-Hadad their king. Now when these men were come back, and had shown Ben-Hadad how strange an accident had befallen them, and what an appearance and power they had experience of the God of Israel, he wondered at it, as also at that prophet with whom God was so evidently present. So he determined to make no more secret attempts upon the king of Israel, out of fear of Alisha, but resolved to make open war with them, as supposing he could be too hard for his enemies by the multitude of his army and power. So he made an expedition with a great army against Jorum, who, not thinking himself a match for him, shut himself up in Samaria, and depended on the strength of his walls. But Ben-Hadad supposed he should take the city, if not by his engines of war, yet that he should overcome the Samaritans by famine and the want of necessaries, and brought his army upon them, and besieged the city. And the plenty of necessaries was brought so low with Jorum, that from the extremity of want an ass's head was sold in Samaria for four score pieces of silver. And the Hebrews bought a sexed area of doors dug, instead of salt, for five pieces of silver. Now Jorum was in fear lest somebody should betray the city to the enemy by reason of the famine, and went every day around the walls and the guards to see whether any such were concealed among them. And by being thus seen, and taking such care, he deprived them of the opportunity of contriving any such thing. And if they had a mind to do it, he, by this means, prevented them. But upon a certain woman's crying out, have pity on me, my lord! While he thought that she was about to ask for something to eat, he implicated God's curse upon her, and said he had neither threshing floor nor wine press, wence he might give her anything at her petition. Upon which she said she did not desire his aid in any such thing, nor trouble him about food, but desired that he would do her justice as to another woman. And when he bade her say on, and let him know what she desired, she said she had made an agreement with another woman who was her neighbor and her friend, that because the famine and want was intolerable, they should kill their children, each of them having a son of their own. And we will live upon them ourselves for two days, the one day upon one son, and the other day upon the other, and, she said, I have killed my son the first day, and we lived upon my son yesterday, but this other woman will not do the same thing, but hath broken her agreement, and hath hid her son. This story mightily grieved Jorm when he heard it, so he rent his garment and cried out with a loud voice, and conceived great wrath against Alisha the prophet, and set himself eagerly to have him slain, because he did not pray to God to provide them some exit and way of escape out of the miseries with which they were surrounded, and sent one away immediately to cut off his head, who made haste to kill the prophet. But Alisha was not unacquainted with the wrath of the king against him, for as he sat in his house by himself, with none but his disciples about him, he told them that Jorm, who was the son of a murderer, had sent one to take away his head. But, he said, when he that is commanded to do this comes, take care that you do not let him come in, but press the door against him, and hold him fast there, for the king himself will follow him, and come to me, having altered his mind. Accordingly they did as they were bidden, when he that was sent by the king to kill Alisha came. But Jorm repented of his wrath against the prophet, for fear he that was commanded to kill him should have done it before he came. He made haste to hinder his slaughter and to save the prophet. And when he came to him, he accused him that he did not pray to God for their deliverance, from the miseries they now lay under, but saw them so sadly destroyed by them. Hereupon Alisha promised that the very next day, at the very same hour in which the king came to him, they should have great plenty of food, and that two sias of barley should be sold in the market for a shekel, and a sia of fine flowers should be sold for a shekel. This prediction made Jorm, and those that were present, very joyful, for they did not scruple believing what the prophet said, on account of the experience they had of the truth of his former predictions. And the expectation of plenty made the want they were in that day, with the uneasiness that accompanied it, appeared a light thing to them. But the captain of the third band, who was a friend of the king, and on whose hand the king lean, said, Thou talkest of incredible things, O prophet, for as it is impossible for God to pour down torrents of barley or fine flour out of heaven, so is it impossible that what thou sias should come to pass. To which the prophet made this reply, Thou shalt see these things come to pass, but thou shall not be in the least a partaker of them. Now what Alisha had thus foretold came to pass in the following manner. There was a law at Samaria, that those that had the leprosy, and whose bodies were not cleansed from it, should abide without the city. And there were for men that on this account abode before the gates, while nobody gave them any food, by reason of the extremity of the famine. And as they were prohibited from entering into the city by the law, and they considered that if they were permitted to enter, they should miserably perish by the famine. As also, that if they stayed where they were, they should suffer in the same manner. They resolved to deliver themselves up to the enemy, that in case they should spare them, they should live. But if they should be killed, that would be an easy death. So when they had confirmed this their resolution, they came by night to the enemy's camp. Now God had begun to affright and disturb the Syrians. And to bring the noise of chariots and armor to their ears. As though an army were coming upon them, and made them suspect that it was coming nearer and nearer to them. In short, they were in such a dread of this army, that they left their tents, and ran together to Ben-Hadad. And said that Joram, the king of Israel, had hired for auxiliaries both the king of Egypt and the king of the islands, and led them against them for they heard the noise of them as they were coming. And Ben-Hadad believed what they said, for there came the same noise to his ears as well as it did to theirs. So they fell into a mighty disorder and tumult, and left their horses and beasts in their camp, with immense riches also, and betook themselves to flight. And those lepers who had departed from Samaria, and were gone to the camp of the Syrians, of whom we made mention a little before, when they were in the camp, saw nothing but great quietness in silence. Accordingly, they entered into it, and went hastily into one of the tents. And when they saw nobody there, they ate and drank, and carried garments, and a great quantity of gold, and hid it out of the camp, after which they went into another tent, and carried off what was in it, as they did at the former, and this they did for several times, without the least interruption from anybody. So they gathered thereby that the enemies were departed, whereupon they reproached themselves that they did not inform Joram and the citizens of it. So they came to the walls of Samaria, and called aloud to the watchmen, and told them in what state the enemies were, as did these tell the kings guards by whose means Joram came to know of it, who then sent for his friends, and the captains of his host, and said to them, that he suspected that this departure of the king of Syria was by way of ambush and treachery, and that, out of despair of ruining you by famine, when you imagine them to be fled away, you may come out of the city to spoil their camp, and he may then fall upon you on a sudden, and may both kill you, and take the city without fighting, whence it is that I exhort you to guard the city carefully, and by no means go out of it, or proudly to despise your enemies, as though they were really gone away. And when a certain person said that he did very well and wisely to admit such suspicion, but that he still advised him to send a couple of horsemen to search all the country as far as the Jordan, that if they were seized by an ambush of the enemy, they might be a security to your army, that they may not go as if they suspected nothing, nor undergo the like misfortune, and, he said, those horsemen may be numbered among those that have died by the famine, supposing they be caught and destroyed by the enemy. So the king was pleased with this opinion and sent such as might search out the truth, who performed their journey over a row that was without any enemies, but found it full of provisions and of weapons, that they had therefore thrown away and left behind them in order to their being light and expeditious in their flight. When the king heard this, he sent out the multitude to take the spoils of the camp, which gains of theirs were not of things of small value, but they took a great quantity of gold and a great quantity of silver and flocks of all kinds of cattle. They also possessed themselves of so many ten thousand measures of wheat and barley, as they never in the least dreamed of, and were not only freed from their former miseries, but had such plenty, that two sia's of barley were bought for a shekel, and a sia a fine flour for a shekel, according to the prophecy of Alisha. Now a sia is equal to an Italian modius and a half, the captain of the third band was the only man that received no benefit by this plenty, for as he was appointed by the king to oversee the gate, that he might prevent the two great crowd of the multitude, and that they might not endanger one another to perish by treading on one another in the press, he suffered himself in that very way and died in that very manner, as Alisha had foretold such his death. When he alone of them all disbelieve what he said concerning the plenty of provisions which they soon should have. Hereupon when Ben-Hadad, the king of Syria, had escaped to Damascus and understood that it was God himself that cast all his army into this fear and disorder, and that it did not arise from the invasion of enemies, he was mightily cast down at his having God so greatly for his enemy and fell into a distemper. Now it happened that Alisha the prophet at that time was gone out of his own country to Damascus, of which Ben-Hadad was informed. He sent Haseil, the most faithful of all his servants, to meet him and to carry him presence and bade him inquire of him about his distemper and whether he should escape the danger that it threatened. So Haseil came to Alisha with forty camels that carried the best and most precious fruits that the country of Damascus afforded as well as those which the king's palace supplied. He saluted him kindly and said that he was sent to him by king Ben-Hadad and brought presence with him in order to inquire concerning his distemper whether he should recover from it or not. Whereupon the prophet bid him tell the king no melancholy news but still he said he would die. So the king's servant was troubled to hear it and Alisha wept also and his tears ran down plentiously at his foresight of what miseries his people would undergo after the death of Ben-Hadad. And when Haseil asked him what was the occasion of this confusion he was in he said that he wept out of his commiseration for the multitude of the Israelites and what terrible miseries they will suffer by thee. For thou wilt slay the strongest of them and wilt burn their strongest cities and wilt destroy their children and dash them against the stones and wilt rip up their women with child. And when Haseil said how can it be that I should have power enough to do such things? The prophet replied that God had informed him that he should be king of Syria. When Haseil was come to Ben-Hadad he told him good news concerning his distemper but on the next day he spread a wet cloth in the nature of a net over him and strangled him and took his dominion. He was an active man and had the goodwill of the Syrians and of the people of Damascus to a great degree by whom both Ben-Hadad himself and Haseil who ruled after him are honored to this day as gods by reason of their benefactions and they're building them temples by which they adorn the city of the Damascenes. They also every day do with great pomp pay their worship to these kings and value themselves upon their antiquity nor do they know that these kings are much later than they imagine and that they are not yet 1100 years old. Now when Joram the king of Israel heard that Ben-Hadad was dead he recovered out of the terror and dread he had been on his account and was very glad to live in peace. End of book 9 chapter 4 Book 9 chapters 5 and 6 of the Antiquities of the Jews volume 2 This is a LibriVox recording All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org Recording by Ann Boulet The Antiquities of the Jews volume 2 by Flavius Josephus translated by William Whiston Book 9 chapters 5 and 6 Chapter 5 Concerning the wickedness of Joram king of Jerusalem his defeat and death Now Joram the king of Jerusalem for we have said before that he had the same name with the king of Israel as soon as he had taken the government upon him he took himself to the slaughter of his brethren and his father's friends who were governors under him and thence made a beginning and a demonstration of his wickedness nor was he at all better than those kings of Israel who at first transgressed against the laws of their country and of the Hebrews and against God's worship and it was Athalia the daughter of Ahab whom he had married who taught him to be a bad man in other respects and also to worship foreign gods Now God would not quite root out this family because of the promise he had made to David However, Joram did not leave off the introduction of new sorts of customs to the propagation of impiety and to the ruin of the customs of his own country and when the Edomites about that time had revolted from him and slain their former king who was in subjection to his father and had set up one of their own choosing Joram fell upon the land of Edom with the horsemen that were about him and the chariots by night and destroyed those that lay near to his own kingdom but did not proceed further However, this expedition did him no service for they all revolted from him with those that dwelt in the country of Libna He was indeed so mad as to compel the people to go up to the high places of the mountains and worship foreign gods As he was doing this and had entirely cast his own country's loss out of his mind there was brought him an epistle from Elijah the prophet which declared that God would execute great judgments upon him because he had not imitated his own fathers but had followed the wicked courses of the kings of Israel and had compelled the tribe of Judah and the citizens of Jerusalem to leave the holy worship of their own God and to worship idols as Ahub had compelled the Israelites to do and because he had slain his brethren and the men that were good and righteous and the prophet gave him notice in this epistle what punishment he should undergo for these crimes namely the destruction of his people with the corruption of the king's own wives and children and that he himself should die of a distemper in his bowels with long torments those his bowels falling out by the violence of the inward rottenness of the parts in so much that though he see his own misery he shall not be able at all to help himself but shall die in that manner this it was which Elijah denounced to him in that epistle it was not long after this that an army of those Arabians that lived near to Ethiopia and of the Philistines fell upon the kingdom of Jehoram and spoiled the country and the king's house moreover they slew his sons and his wives only one of his sons was left him who escaped the enemy his name was Ahazia after which calamity he himself fell into that disease which was foretold by the prophet and lasted a great while for God inflicted this punishment upon him in his belly out of his wrath against him and so he died miserably and saw his own bowels fall out the people also abused his dead body I suppose it was because they thought that such his death came upon him by the wrath of God and that therefore he was not worthy to partake of such a funeral as became kings accordingly they neither buried him in the sepulchres of his fathers nor vouch saved him any honors but buried him like a private man and this when he had lived 40 years and reigned eight and the people of Jerusalem delivered the government to his son Ahazia chapter six how Jehu was anointed king and slew both Jehoram and Ahazia as also what he did for the punishment of the wicked now Jehoram the king of Israel after the death of Ben-Hadad hoped that he might now take Ramath a city of Gilead from the syrians accordingly he made an expedition against it with a great army but as he was besieging it an arrow was shot at him by one of the syrians but the wound was not mortal so he returned to have his wound healed in Jezreel but left his whole army in Ramath and Jehu the son of Nimshi for their general for he had already taken the city by force and he proposed after he was healed to make war with the syrians but Elisha the prophet sent one of his disciples to Ramath and gave him holy oil to annoy Jehu and to tell him that God had chosen him to be their king he also sent him to say other things to him and bid him to take his journey as if he fled that when he came away he might escape the knowledge of all men so when he was come to the city he found Jehu sitting in the midst of the captains of the army as Elisha had foretold he should find him so he came up to him and said that he desired to speak with him about certain matters and when he was arisen and had followed him into an inward chamber the young man took the oil and poured it on his head and said that God ordained him to be king in order to his destroying the house of Ahab and that he might revenge the blood of the prophets that were unjustly slain by Jezrebel that so their house might utterly perish as those of Jeroboam the son of Nebat and of Baasha had perished for their wickedness and no seed might remain of Ahab's family so when he had said this he went away hastily out of the chamber and endeavored not to be seen by any of the army but Jehu came out and went to the place where he before sat with the captains and when they asked him and desired him to tell them wherefore it was that this young man came to him and added with all that he was mad he replied you guess right for the words he's fake were the words of a mad man and when they were eager about the matter and desired he would tell them he answered that God has said he had chosen him to be king over the multitude when he said this every one of them put off his garment and strewed it under him and blew with trumpets and gave notice that Jehu was king so when he had gotten the army together he was preparing to set out immediately against Joram at the city of Jezreel in which city as we said before he was healing of the wound which he had received in the siege of Ramoth it happened also that Ahazia king of Jerusalem was now come to Joram for he was his sister's son as we have said before to see how he did after his wound and this upon account of their kindred but as Jehu was desirous to fall upon Joram and those with him on the sudden he desired that none of the soldiers might run away and tell to Joram what had happened for that this would be an evident demonstration of their kindness to him and which show that their real inclinations were to make him king so they were pleased with what he did and guarded the rose lest somebody should privately tell the thing to those that were at Jezreel now Jehu took his choice horsemen and sat upon his chariot and went on for Jezreel and when he was come near the watchmen whom Joram had set there to spy out such as came to the city saw Jehu marching on and told Joram that he saw a troop of horsemen marching on upon which he immediately gave orders that one of his horsemen should be sent out to meet them and to know who it was that was coming so when the horsemen came up to Jehu he asked him in what condition the army was for that the king wanted to know but Jehu bid him not at all to meddle with such matters but to follow him when the watchmen saw this he told Joram that the horsemen had mingled himself among the company and came along with them and when the king had sent a second messenger Jehu commanded him to do as the former did and as soon as the watchmen did this also to Joram he at last got upon his chariot himself together with Ahazia the king of Jerusalem for as we have said before he was there to see how Joram did after he had been wounded as being his relation so he went out to meet Jehu who marched slowly and in good order and when Joram met him in the field of Naboth he asked him if all things were well in the camp but Jehu reproached him bitterly and ventured to call his mother a witch and a harlot upon this the king fearing what he intended and suspecting he had no good meaning turned his chariot about as soon as he could and sent to Ahazia we are fought against by deceit and treachery but Jehu drew his bow and smote him the arrow going through his heart so Joram fell down immediately on his knee and gave up the ghost Jehu also gave orders to Bidkar the captain of the third part of his army to cast the dead body of Joram into the field of Naboth putting him in mind of the prophecy which Elijah prophesied to Ahab his father when he had slain Naboth that both he and his family should perish in that place for as they sat behind Ahab's chariot they heard the prophet say so and that it was now come to pass according to his prophecy upon the fall of Joram Ahazia was afraid of his own life and turned his chariot into another road supposing he should not be seen by Jehu but he followed after him and overtook him at a certain aclivity and drew his bow and wounded him so he left his chariot and got upon his horse and fled from Jehu to Megiddo and though he was under cure in a little time he died of that wound and was carried to Jerusalem and buried there after he had reigned one year and had proved a wicked man and worse than his father now when Jehu was come to Jezreel Jezrebel adorned herself and stood upon a tower and said he was a fine servant that had killed his master and when he looked up to her he asked who she was and commanded her to come down to him at last he ordered the eunuchs to throw her down from the tower and being thrown down she besprinkled the wall with her blood and was trodden upon by the horses and so died when this was done Jehu came to the palace with his friends and took some refreshment after his journey both with other things and by eating a meal he also bid his servants to take up Jezrebel and bury her because of the nobility of her blood for she was descended from kings but those that were appointed to bury her found nothing else remaining but the extreme parts of her body for all the rest were eaten by dogs when Jehu heard this he admired the prophecy of Elijah for he foretold that she should perish in this manner at Jezrebel now Ahab had 70 sons brought up in Samaria so Jehu sent two epistles the one to them that brought up the children the other to the rulers of Samaria which said that they should set up the most valiant of Ahab's sons for king for that they had abundance of chariots and horses and armor and a great army and fenced cities and that by doing so they might avenge the murder of Ahab this he wrote to try the intentions of those of Samaria when the rulers and those that had brought up the children had read the letter they were afraid and considering that they were not at all able to oppose him who had already subdued two very great kings they returned him this answer that they owned him for their lord and would do whatsoever he bade them so he wrote back to them such a reply as enjoined them to obey what he gave order for and to cut off the heads of Ahab's sons and send them to him accordingly the rulers sent for those that had brought up the sons of Ahab and commanded them to slay them to cut off their heads and send them to Jehu so they did whatsoever they were commanded without omitting anything at all and put them up in wicker baskets and sent them to Jezreel and when Jehu as he was at supper with his friends was informed that the heads of Ahab's sons were brought he ordered them to make two heaps of them one before each of the gates and in the morning he went out to take a view of them and when he saw them he began to say to the people that were present that he did himself make an expedition against his master Joram and slew him but that it was not he that slew all these and he desired them to take notice that as to Ahab's family all things had come to pass according to God's prophecy and his house was perished according as Elijah had foretold and when he had further destroyed all the kindred of Ahab that were found in Jezreel he went to Samaria and as he was upon the road he met the relations of Ahazia king of Jerusalem and asked them whether they were going they replied that they came to salute Joram and their own king Ahazia for they knew not that he had slain them both so Jehu gave orders that they should catch these and kill them being in number 42 persons after these there met him a good and righteous man whose name was Jehonadab and who had been his friend of old he saluted Jehu and began to commend him because he had done everything according to the will of God in extropating the house of Ahab so Jehu desired him to come up into his chariot and to make his entry with him into Samaria and told him that he would not spare one wicked man but would punish the false prophets and false priests and those that deceived the multitude and persuaded them to leave the worship of God Almighty and to worship foreign gods and that it was a most excellent and pleasing sight to a good and righteous man to see the wicked punished so Jehonadab was persuaded by these arguments and came up into Jehu's chariot and came to Samaria and Jehu sought out for all Ahab's kindred and slew them and being desirous that none of the false prophets nor the priests of Ahab's God might escape punishment he caught them deceitfully by this will for he gathered all the people together and said that he would worship twice as many gods as Ahab worshiped and desired that his priests and prophets and servants might be present because he would offer costly and great sacrifices to Ahab's God and that if any of his priests were wanting they should be punished with death now Ahab's God was called Baal and when he had appointed a day on which he would offer those sacrifices he sent messengers through all the country of the Israelites that they might bring the priests of Baal to him so Jehu commanded to give all the priests vestments and when they had received them he went into the house of Baal with his friend Jehonadab and gave orders to make search whether there were any foreigners or strangers among them for he would have no one of a different religion to mix among their sacred offices and when they said there was no stranger there and they were beginning their sacrifices he set four score men without they being such of his soldiers as he knew to be most faithful to him and bid them slay the prophets and now vindicate the laws of their country which had been a long time in disesteem he also threatened that if any one of them escaped their own lives should go for them so they slew them all with the sword and burnt the house of Baal and by this means purged Samaria of foreign customs idolatrous worship now this Baal was the god of the Tyrians and Ahab in order to gratify his father-in-law Eth Baal who was the king of Tyre and Sidon built a temple for him in Samaria and appointed him prophets and worshiped him with all sorts of worship although when this god was demolished Jehu permitted the Israelites to worship the golden heifers however because he had done thus and taken care to punish the wicked God foretold by his prophet that his son should reign over Israel for four generations and in this condition was Jehu at this time End of book nine chapters five and six book nine chapter seven and eight of the antiquities of the Jews volume two this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org recording by Ann Boulais the antiquities of the Jews volume two by Flavius Josephus translated by William Whiston book nine chapter seven and eight chapter seven how Athalia reigned over Jerusalem for five six years when Jehoiata the high priest slew her and made Jehoosh the son of Ahazia king now when Athalia the daughter of Ahab heard of the death of her brother Joram and of her son Ahazia and of the royal family she endeavored that none of the house of David might be left alive but that the whole family might be exterminated that no king might arise out of it afterward and as she thought she had actually done it but one of Ahazia's sons was preserved who escaped death after the manor following Ahazia had a sister by the same father whose name was Jehoshiba and she was married to the high priest Jehoiata she went into the king's palace and found Jehoosh for that was the little child's name who was not above a year old among those that were slain but concealed with his nurse so she took him with her into a secret bed chamber and shut him up there and she and her husband Jehoiata brought him up privately in the temple six years during which time Athalia reigned over Jerusalem and the two tribes now on the seventh year Jehoiata communicated the matter to certain of the captains of hundreds five in number and persuaded them to be assisting to what attempts he was making against Athalia and to join with him in asserting the kingdom to the child he also received such oaths from them as our proper to secure those that assist one another from the fear of discovery and he was then of good hope that they should depose Athalia now those men whom Jehoiata the priest had taken to be his partners went into all the country and gathered together the priests and the Levites and the heads of the tribes out of it and came and brought them to Jerusalem to the high priest so he demanded the security of an oath of them to keep private whatsoever he should discover to them which required both their silence and their assistance so when they had taken the oath and had thereby made it safe for him to speak he produced the child that had been brought up of the family of David and said to them this is your king of that house which you know God hath foretold should reign over you for all time to come I exhort you therefore that one third part of you guard him in the temple and that a fourth part keep watch at all the gates of the temple and the next part of you guard at the gate which opens and leads to the king's palace and let the rest of the multitude be unarmed in the temple and let no armed person go into the temple but the priest only he also gave them this order besides that part of the priests and the Levites should be about the king himself and be a guard to him with their drawn swords and to kill that man immediately whoever he be that should be so bold as to enter armed into the temple and bid them be afraid of nobody but persevere in guarding the king so these men obeyed what the high priest advised them to and declared the reality of their resolution by their actions Jehoiata also opened that armory which David had made in the temple and distributed to the captains of hundreds as also to the priests and Levites all the spheres and quivers and what kind of weapons so ever it contained and set them armed in a circle round about the temple so as to touch one another's hands and by that means excluding those from entering that ought not to enter so they brought the child into the midst of them and put on him the royal crown and Jehoiata anointed him with oil and made him king and the multitude rejoiced and made a sound and cried God save the king when Athalia unexpectedly heard the tumult and the acclamations she was greatly disturbed in her mind and suddenly issued out of the royal palace with her own army and when she was come to the temple the priests received her but as for those that stood round about the temple as they were ordered by the high priest to do they hindered the arm inert that followed her from going in but when Athalia saw the child standing upon a pillar with the royal crown upon his head she rent her clothes and cried out vehemently and commanded her guards to kill him that had laid snares for her and endeavored to deprive her of the government but Jehoiata called for the captains of the hundreds and commanded them to bring Athalia to the valley of Sedran and slay her there for he would not have the temple defiled with the punishments of this pernicious woman and he gave order that if anyone came near to help her he should be slain also where for those that had the charge of her slaughter took hold of her and led her to the gate of the king's mules and slew her there now as soon as what concerned Athalia was by this stratagem after this manner dispatched Jehoiata called together the people and the armed men into the temple and made them take an oath that they would be obedient to the king and take care of his safety and of the safety of his government after which he obliged the king to give security upon oath that he would worship God and not transgress the laws of Moses they then ran to the house of Baal which Athalia and her husband Jehoram had built to the dishonor of the god of their fathers and to the honor of Ahab and demolished it and slew Matan that had his priesthood but when Jehoiata entrusted the care and custody of the temple to the priests and Levites according to the appointment of king David and enjoined them to bring their regular burnt offerings twice a day and to offer incense according to the law he also ordained some of the Levites with the porters to be a guard to the temple that no one that was defiled might come there and when Jehoiata had set these things in order he with the captains of hundreds and the rulers and all the people took Jehoiata out of the temple into the king's palace and when he had set him upon the king's throne the people shouted for joy and betook themselves to feasting and kept a festival for many days but the city was quiet upon the death of Athalia that Jehoiata was seven years old when he took the kingdom his mother's name was Zabiya of the city Bershiba and all the time that Jehoiata lived Jehoosh was careful that the laws should be kept and very zealous in the worship of God and when he was of age he married two wives who were given to him by the high priest by whom were born to him both sons and daughters and this much shall suffice to have related concerning king Jehoosh how he escaped the treachery of Athalia and how he received the kingdom Chapter 8 Haseel makes an expedition against the people of Israel and the inhabitants of Jerusalem Jehu dies and Jehoazaz succeeds in the government Jehoosh the king of Jerusalem at first is careful about the worship of God but afterwards becomes impious and commands Zachariah to be stoned when Jehoosh king of Judah was dead Amazia succeeds him in the kingdom Now Haseel king of Syria fought against the Israelites and their king Jehu and spoiled the eastern parts of the country beyond Jordan which belonged to the Rubinites and Gadites and to the half tribe of Minasites as also Gilead and Bashan burning and spoiling and offering violence to all that he laid his hands on and this without impeachment from Jehu who made no haste to defend the country when it was under this distress nay he was become a contender of religion and a despiser of holiness and of the laws and died when he had reigned over the Israelites 27 years he was buried in Samaria and left Jehoazah his son his successor in government Now Jehoosh king of Jerusalem had an inclination to repair the temple of God so he called Jehoiada and bid him send the Levites and priests through all the country to require half a shekel of silver for every head towards the rebuilding and repairing of the temple which was brought to decay by Jehoram and Athalia and her sons but the high priests did not do this as concluding that no one would willingly pay that money but in the 23rd year of Jehoosh's reign when the king sent for him and the Levites and complained that they had not obeyed what he enjoined them and still commanded them to take care of the rebuilding of the temple he used this stratagem for collecting the money with which the multitude was pleased he made a wooden chest and closed it up fast on all sides but opened one hole in it he then set it in the temple beside the altar and desired everyone to cast into it through the hole what he pleased for the repair of the temple this contrivance was acceptable to the people and they strove one with another and brought in jointly large quantities of silver and gold and when the scribe and the priests that were over the treasuries had emptied the chest and counted the money in the king's presence they then set it in its former place and thus they did every day but when the multitude appeared to have cast in as much as was wanted the high priests Jehoiata and King Jehoosh sent to hire masons and carpenters and to buy large pieces of timber and of the most curious sort and when they had repaired the temple they made use of the remaining gold and silver which was not a little for bowls and basins and cups and other vessels and they went on to make the altar every day fat with sacrifices of great value and these things were taken suitable care of as long as Jehoiata lived but as soon as he was dead which was when he had lived 130 years having been a righteous and in every respect a very good man and was buried in the king's sepulchres at Jerusalem because he had recovered the kingdom to the family of David King Jehoosh betrayed his want of care about God the principal men of the people were corrupted also together with him and offended against their duty and what their constitution determined to be most for their good here upon God was displeased with the change that was made on the king and on the rest of the people and sent prophets to testify to them what their actions were and to bring them to leave off their wickedness but they had gotten such a strong affection and so violent an inclination to it that neither could the examples of those that had offered affronts to the laws and had been so severely punished they and their entire families nor could the fear of what the prophets now foretold bring them to repentance and turn them back from their course of transgression to their former duty but the king commanded Zachariah the son of the high priest Jehoiata should be stoned to death in the temple and forgot the kindnesses he had received from his father for when God had appointed him to prophesy he stood in the midst of the multitude and gave this counsel to them and to the king that they should act righteously and foretold to them that if they would not hearken to his admonitions they should suffer a heavy punishment but as Zachariah was ready to die he appealed to God as a witness of what he suffered for the good counsel he had given them and how he perished after a most severe and violent manner for the good deeds his father had done to Jehoiata however it was not long before the king suffered punishment for his transgression for when Haseil king of Syria made an eruption into his country and when he had overthrown Goth and spoiled it he made an expedition against Jerusalem upon which Jehoiata was afraid and emptied all the treasures of God and of the kings before him and took down the gifts that had been dedicated in the temple and sent them to the king of Syria and procured so much by them that he was not besieged nor his kingdom quite endangered but Haseil was induced by the greatness of the sum of money not to bring his army against Jerusalem yet Jehoiata fell into a severe distemper and was set upon by his friends in order to revenge the death of Zachariah the son of Jehoiata these laid snares for the king and slew him he was indeed buried in Jerusalem but not in the royal sepulchres of his forefathers because of his impiety he lived 47 years and Amazia his son succeeded him in the kingdom in the one and 20th year of the reign of Jehoosh Jehoaza the son of Jehu took the government of the Israelites in Samaria and held it 17 years he did not properly imitate his father but was guilty of as wicked practices as those that first had God in contempt but the king of Syria brought him low and by an expedition against him did so greatly reduce his forces that there remained no more of so great an army than 10,000 armed men and 50 horsemen he also took away from him his great cities and many of them also and destroyed his army and these were the things that the people of Israel suffered according to the prophecy of Elisha when he foretold that HaZal should kill his master and reign over the Syrians into mass scenes but when Jehoaz was under such unavoidable miseries he had recourse to prayer and supplication to God and besought him to deliver him out of the hands of HaZal and not overlook him and give him up into his hands accordingly God accepted of his repentance instead of virtue and being desirous rather to admonish those that might repent and not to determine that they should be utterly destroyed he granted him deliverance from war and dangers so the country having obtained peace returned again to its former condition and flourished as before now after the death of Jehoaz his son Jehoaz took the kingdom in the 37th year of Jehoaz the king of the tribe of Judah this Jehoaz then took the kingdom of Israel in Samaria for he had the same name with the king of Jerusalem and he retained the kingdom 16 years he was a good man and in his disposition was not at all like his father now at this time it was that when Elisha the prophet who was already very old and was now fallen into disease the king of Israel came to visit him and when he found him very near death he began to weep in his sight and lament to call him his father and his weapons because it was by his means that he never made use of his weapons against his enemies but that he overcame his own adversaries by his prophecies without fighting and that he was now departing this life and leaving him to the Syrians that were already armed and to other enemies of his that were under their power so he said it was not safe for him to live any longer but that it would be well for him to hasten to his end and depart out of this life with him as the king was thus bemoaning himself Elisha comforted him and bid the king bend a bow that was brought him and when the king had fitted the bow for shooting Elisha took hold of his hands and bid him shoot and when he had shot three arrows and then left off Elisha said if thou had shot more arrows thou hast cut the kingdom of Syria up by the roots but since thou hast been satisfied with shooting three times only thou shall fight and beat the Syrians no more times than three that thou mayest recover that country which they cut off from thy kingdom in the reign of thy father so when the king had heard that he departed and a little while after the prophet died he was a man celebrated for righteousness and in eminent favor with God he also performed wonderful and surprising works by prophecy and such as were gloriously preserved in memory by the Hebrews he also obtained a magnificent funeral such a one indeed as it was fit a person so beloved of God should have it also happened that at that time certain robbers cast a man whom they had slain into Elisha's grave and upon his dead body coming close to Elisha's body it revived again and thus far have we enlarged upon the actions of Elisha the prophet both such as he did while he was alive and how he had a divine power after his death also now upon the death of Hazael the king of Syria that kingdom came to Adod his son with whom Joash king of Israel made war and when he had beaten him in three battles he took from him all that country and all those cities and villages which his father Hazael had taken from the kingdom of Israel which came to pass however according to the prophecy of Elisha but when Joash happened to die he was buried in Samaria and the government devolved on his son Jeroboam and the book nine chapter seven and eight book nine chapters nine and ten of the antiquities of the Jews volume two this is a Lieberbox recording all Lieberbox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit Lieberbox.org recording by Ann Boulais the antiquities of the Jews volume two by Flavius Josephus translated by William Whiston book nine chapters nine and ten chapter nine how Amazia made an expedition against the Edomites and Amalekites and conquered them but when he afterwards made war against Joash he was beaten and not long after was slain and Uzziah succeeded in the government now in the second year of the reign of Joash over Israel Amazia reigned over the tribe of Judah in Jerusalem his mother's name was Jehoadon who was born in Jerusalem he was exceedingly careful of doing what was right and this when he was very young but when he came to the management of affairs and to the government he resolved that he ought first of all to avenge his father Jehoash and to punish those his friends that had laid violent hands upon him so he seized upon them all and put them to death yet did he execute no severity on their children but acted therein according to the laws of Moses who did not think it just to punish children for the sins of their fathers after this he chose him and army out of the tribe of Judah and Benjamin of such as were in the flower of their age and about 20 years old and when he had collected about 300,000 of them together he set captains of hundreds over them he also sent to the king of Israel and hired 100,000 of his soldiers for 100 talents of silver for he had resolved to make an expedition against the nations of the Amalekites and Edomites and Gabalites but as he was preparing for his expedition and ready to go out to the war a prophet gave him counsel to dismiss the army of the Israelites because they were bad men and because God foretold that he should be beaten if he made use of them as auxiliaries but that he should overcome his enemies though he had but a few soldiers when it so pleased God and when the king rushed at his having already paid the hire of the Israelites the prophet exhorted him to do what God would have him because he should thereby obtain much wealth from God so he dismissed them and said that he still freely gave them their pay and went himself with his own army and made war with the nations before mentioned and when he had beaten them in battle he slew of them 10,000 and took as many prisoners alive whom he brought to the great rock which is in Arabia and threw them down from it headlong he also brought away a great deal of prey and vast riches from those nations but while Amazia was engaged in this expedition those Israelites whom he had hired and then dismissed were very uneasy at it and taking their dismission as an affront as supposing that this would not have been done to them but out of contempt they fell upon his kingdom and proceeded to spoil the country as far as Beth Horan and took much cattle and slew 3,000 men now upon the victory which Amazia had gotten and the great acts he had done he was puffed up and began to overlook God who had given him the victory and proceeded to worship the gods he had brought out of the country of the Amalekites so a prophet came to him and said that he wondered how he could esteem these to be gods who had been of no advantage to their own people who paid them honors nor had delivered them from his hands but had overlooked the destruction of many of them and had suffered themselves to be carried captive for that they had been carried to Jerusalem in the same manner as anyone might have taken some of the enemy alive and led them thither this reproof provoked the king to anger and he commanded the prophet to hold his peace and threatened to punish him if he meddled with his conduct so he replied that he should indeed hold his peace but foretold with all that God would not overlook his attempts for innovation but Amazia was not able to contain himself under this prosperity which God had given him although he had affronted God thereupon but in a vein of insolence he wrote to Joash the king of Israel and commanded that he and all his people should be obedient to him as they had formally been obedient to his progenitors David and Solomon and he let him know that if he would not be so wise as to do what he commanded him he must fight for his dominion to which message Joash returned this answer in writing King Joash to King Amazia there was a vastly tall cypress tree in Mount Lebanon as also a thistle this thistle sent to the cypress tree to give the cypress tree's daughter in marriage to the thistle's son but as the thistle was saying this there came a wild beast and trod upon the thistle and this may be a lesson to thee not to be so ambitious and to have a care lest upon thy good success in the fight against the amylokites thou growest so proud as to bring dangers upon thyself and upon thy kingdom when Amazia had read this letter he was more eager upon this expedition which i suppose was by the impulse of God that he might be punished for his offense against him but as soon as he led out his army against Joash they were going to join battle with him there came on such a fear and consternation upon the army of Amazia as God when he is displeased sense upon men and discomforts them even before they came to a close fight now it happened that as they were scattered about by the terror that was upon them Amazia was left alone and was taken prisoner by the enemy where upon Joash threatened to kill him unless he would persuade the people of Jerusalem to open their gates to him and receive him and his army into the city accordingly Amazia was so distressed and in such fear of his life that he made his enemy to be received into the city so Joash overthrew a part of the wall of the length of 400 cubits and drove his chariot through the breach into Jerusalem and led Amazia captive along with him by which means he became master of Jerusalem and took away the treasures of God and carried off all the gold and silver that was in the king's palace and then freed the king from the captivity and returned to Samaria now these things happened to the people of Jerusalem in the 14th year of the reign of Amazia who after this had a conspiracy made against him by his friends and fled to the city of Lakish and was there slain by the conspirators who sent men thither to kill him so they took up his dead body and carried it to Jerusalem and made a royal funeral for him this was the end of the life of Amazia because of his innovations in religion and his contempt of God when he had lived 54 years and had reigned 29 he was succeeded by his son whose name was Uzair chapter 10 concerning Jeroboam king of Israel and Jonah the prophet and how after the death of Jeroboam his son Zachariah took the government how Uzair king of Jerusalem subdued the nations that were round about him and what befell him when he attempted to offer incense to God in the 15th year of the reign of Amazia Jeroboam the son of Joash reigned over Israel in Samaria 40 years this king was guilty of tamuli against God and became very wicked in worshiping of idols and in many undertakings that were absurd and foreign he was also the cause of 10,000 misfortunes to the people of Israel now one Jonah a prophet foretold to him that he should make war with the Syrians and conquer their army and enlarge the bounds of his kingdom on the northern parts to the city Hamath and on the southern to the lake Asphaltiris for the bounds of the Canaanites originally were these as Joshua their general had determined them so Jeroboam made an expedition against the Syrians and overran all their country as Jonah had foretold now I cannot but think it necessary for me who have promised to give an accurate account of our affairs to describe the actions of this prophet so far as I have found them written down in the Hebrew books Jonah had been commanded by God to go to the kingdom of Nineveh and when he was there to publish it in that city how it should lose the dominion it had over the nations but he went not out of fear nay he ran away from God to the city of Joppa and finding a ship there he went into it and sailed to Tarsus in Cilicia and upon the rise of a most terrible storm which was so great that the ship was in danger of sinking the mariners the master and the pilot himself made prayers and vows in case they escaped the sea but Jonah lay still and covered in the ship without imitating anything that the others did but as the waves grew greater and the sea became more violent by the winds they suspected as is usual in such cases that someone of their persons that sailed with them was the occasion of this storm and agreed to discover by lot which of them it was when they had cast lots the lot fell upon the prophet and when they asked him once he came and what he had done he replied that he was a Hebrew by nation and a prophet of almighty God and he persuaded them to cast him into the sea if they would escape the danger they were in for that he was the occasion of the storm which was upon them now at the first they durst not do so as a steaming it a wicked thing to cast a man who was a stranger and who had committed his life to them into such a manifest perdition but at last when their fortune overbored them and the ship was just going to be drowned and when they were animated to do it by the prophet himself and by the fear concerning their own safety they cast him into the sea upon which the sea became calm it is also reported that Jonah was swallowed down by a whale and that when he had been there three days and as many nights he was vomited out upon the Eucseen sea and this alive and without any hurt upon his body and there on his prayer to God he obtained pardon for his sins and went to the city of Nineveh where he stood so as to be heard and preached that in a very little time they should lose the dominion of Asia and when he had published this he returned now I have given this account about him as I found it written in our books when Jeroboam the king had passed his life in great happiness and had ruled 40 years he died and was buried in Samaria and his son Zachariah took the kingdom after the same manner did Uzair the son of Amazia begin to reign over the two tribes in Jerusalem in the 14th year of the reign of Jeroboam he was born of Jekyllia his mother who was a citizen of Jerusalem he was a good man and by nature righteous and magnanimous and very laborious in taking care of the affairs of his kingdom he made an expedition also against the Philistines and overcame them in battle and took the cities of Gath and Jabneh and broke down their walls after which expedition he assaulted those Arabs that adjoined to Egypt he also built a city upon the Red Sea and put a garrison into it he after this over through the Ammonites and appointed that they should pay tribute he also overcame all the countries as far as the bounds of Egypt and then began to take care of Jerusalem itself for the rest of his life for he rebuilt and repaired all those parts of the wall which had either fallen down by length of time or by the carelessness of the kings his predecessors as well as all that part which had been thrown down by the king of Israel when he took his father Amazia prisoner and entered with him into the city moreover he built a great many towers of 150 cubits high and built walled towns and desert places and put garrisons into them and dug many channels for conveyance of water he also had many beasts for labor and an immense number of cattle for his country was fit for pastureage he was also given to husbandry and took care to cultivate the ground and planted it with all sorts of plants and sowed it with all sorts of seeds he had also about him an army composed of chosen men in number 370,000 who were governed by general officers and captains of thousands who were men of valor and of unconquerable strength in number 2000 he also divided his whole army into bands and armed them giving everyone a sword with brazen bucklers and breastplates with bows and slings and besides these he made for them many engines of war for besieging of cities such as cast stones and darts with grapplers and other instruments of that sort while Uzziah was in the state and making preparation for fertility he was corrupted in his mind by pride and became insolent and this on account of that abundance which he had of things that will soon perish and despise that power which is of eternal duration which consisted in piety towards God and in observing the laws so he fell by occasion of the good success of his affairs and was carried headlong into those sins of his father which the splendor of that prosperity he enjoyed and the glorious actions he had done led him into while he was not able to govern himself well about them accordingly when a remarkable day was come and a general festival was to be celebrated he put on the holy garment and went into the temple to offer incense to God upon the golden altar which he was prohibited to do by Azariah the high priest who had four score priests with him and who told him that it was not lawful for him to offer sacrifice and that none besides the posterity of Aaron were permitted to do so and when they cried out that he must go out of the temple and not transgress against God he was wroth at them and threatened to kill them unless they would hold their peace in the meantime a great earthquake shook the ground and a rent was made in the temple and the bright rays of the sun shone through it and fell upon the king's face in so much that the leprosy seized upon him immediately and before the city at a place called Uroge half the mountain fell off from the rest on the west and rolled itself four furlongs and stood still at the east mountain till the roads as well as the king's gardens were spoiled by the obstruction now as soon as the priest saw that the king's face was infected with the leprosy they told him of the calamity he was under and commanded that he should go out of the city as a polluted person hereupon he was so confounded at the saddest temper and sensible that he was not at liberty to contradict that he did as he was commanded and underwent this miserable and terrible punishment for an intention beyond what befitted a man to have and for that impiety against God which was implied therein so he abode out of the city for some time and lived a private life while his son Jotham took the government after which he died with grief and anxiety at what had happened to him when he had lived 68 years and reigned of them 52 and was buried by himself in his own gardens end of book nine chapters nine and ten book nine chapters 11 and 12 of the antiquities of the Jews volume two this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org recording by Ann Boulet the antiquities of the Jews volume two by Flavius Josephus translated by William Wiston book nine chapters 11 and 12 chapter 11 how Zachariah, Shalom, Manahem, Pakeha, and Pekka took the government over the Israelites and how Poole and Tigloth Peleser made an expedition against the Israelites how Jotham the son of Uzziah reigned over the tribe of Judah and what things not whom prophesied against the Assyrians now when Zachariah the son of Jeroboam had reigned six months over Israel he was slain by the treachery of a certain friend of his whose name was Shalom the son of Jebez who took the kingdom afterward but kept it no longer than 30 days for Manahem the general of his army who was at that time in the city Tierzah and heard of what had befallen Zachariah removed their upon with his forces to Samaria and joining battle with Shalom slew him and when he had made himself king he went thence and came to the city Tifasa but the citizens that were in it shut their gates and barred them against the king and would not admit him but in order to be avenged on them he burnt the country round about it and took the city by force upon a siege and being very much displeased at what the inhabitants of Tifasa had done he slew them all and spared not so much as the infants without omitting the utmost instances of cruelty and barbarity for he used such severity upon his own countrymen as would not be pardonable with regard to strangers who had been conquered by him and after this manner it was that Manahem continued to reign with cruelty and barbarity for 10 years but when Poole king of Assyria had made an expedition against him he did not think meat to fight or engage in battle with the Assyrians but he persuaded him to accept of a thousand talents of silver and to go away and so put an end to the war this son the multitude collected for Manahem who exacting 50 drachmae as poll money for every head after which he died and was buried in Samaria and left his son Pekahiah his successor in the kingdom who followed the barbarity of his father and so ruled but two years only after which he was slain with his friends at a feast by the treachery of one Pekah the general of his horse and the son of Ramalia who laid snares for him now this Pekah held the government 20 years and proved a wicked man and a transgressor but the king of Assyria whose name was Tigloth Peleser when he had made an expedition against the Israelites and had overrun the land of Gilead and the region beyond Jordan and the adjoining country which is called Galilee and Kadesh and Hazor he made the inhabitants prisoners and transplanted them into his own kingdom and so much shall suffice to have related here concerning the king of Assyria now Jotham the son of Uzziah reigned over the tribe of Judah in Jerusalem being a citizen thereof by his mother whose name was Jerusha this king was not defective in any virtue but was religious towards God and righteous towards men and careful of the good of the city for what parts so ever wanted to be repaired or adorned he magnificently repaired and adorned them he also took care of the foundations of the cloisters in the temple and repaired the walls that were falling down and built very great towers and such as were almost impregnable and if anything else in his kingdom had been neglected he took great care of it he also made an expedition against the Ammonites and overcame them in battle and ordered them to pay tribute a hundred talents and ten thousand quarry of wheat and as many of barley every year and so augmented his kingdom that his enemies could not despise it and his own people lived happily now there was at that time a prophet whose name was Nahum who spake after this manner concerning the overthrow of the Assyrians and of Nineveh Nineveh shall be a pool of water in motion so shall all her people be troubled and tossed and go away by flight while they say one to another stand stand still seize their gold and silver for there shall be no one to wish them well for they will rather save their lives than their money for a terrible contention shall possess them one with another and lamentation and loosing of the members and their countenances shall be perfectly black with fear and there will be the den of the lions and the mother of the young lions God says to thee Nineveh that they shall deface thee and the lion shall no longer go out from thee to give laws to the world and indeed this prophet prophesied many other things besides these concerning Nineveh which I do not think necessary to repeat and I here omit them that I may not appear troublesome to my readers all which thing happened about Nineveh a hundred and fifteen years afterward so this may suffice to have spoken of these matters Chapter 12 How upon the death of Jotham Ahaz reigned in his stead against whom resin king of Syria and Pekka king of Israel made war and how Tigloth Peleser king of Assyria came to the assistance of Ahaz and laid Syria waste and removing the Damas scenes into media placed other nations in their room now Jotham died when he had lived 41 years and of them reigned 16 and was buried in the sepulchres of the kings and the kingdom came to his son Ahaz who proved most impious towards God and a transgressor of the laws of his country he imitated the kings of Israel and reared altars in Jerusalem and offered sacrifices upon them to idols to which also he offered his own son as a burnt offering according to the practices of the Canaanites his other actions were also of the same sort now as he was going on in this mad course resin the king of Syria and Damascus and Pekka the king of Israel who were now at Amity one with another made war with him and when they had driven him into Jerusalem they besieged that city along while making but a small progress on account of the strength of its walls and when the king of Syria had taken the city Elath upon the Red Sea and had slain the inhabitants he peopled it with Syrians and when he had slain those in the other garrisons and the Jews in their neighborhood and had driven away much prey he returned with his army back to Damascus now when the king of Jerusalem knew that the Syrians were returned home he supposing himself a match for the king of Israel drew out his army against him and joining battle with him was beaten and this happened because God was angry with him on account of his many and great enormities accordingly there were slain by the Israelites 120,000 of his men that day whose general Amazia by name slew Zachariah the king's son in his conflict with Ahaz as well as the governor of the kingdom whose name was Asriqam he also carried Al-Khanna the general of the troops of the tribe of Judah into captivity they also carried the women and children of the tribe of Benjamin captives when they had gotten a great deal of prey they returned to Samaria now there was one Obed who was a prophet at that time in Samaria he met the army before the city walls and with a loud voice told them that they had gotten the victory not by their own strength but by reason of the anger God had against king Ahaz and he complained that they were not satisfied with the good success they had had against him but were so bold as to make captives out of their kinsmen the tribes of Judah and Benjamin he also gave them counsel to let them go home without doing them any harm for that if they did not obey God herein they should be punished so the people of Israel came together to their assembly and considered of these matters when a man whose name was Barakiah and who was one of chief reputation in the government stood up and the others with him and said we will not suffer the citizens to bring these prisoners into the city lest we be all destroyed by God we have sins enough of our own that we have committed against him as the prophets assure us nor ought we therefore to introduce the practice of new crimes when the soldiers heard that they permitted them to do what they thought best so the foreign-name men took the captives and let them go and took care of them and gave them provisions and sent them to their own country without doing them any harm however these four went along with them and conducted them as far as Jericho which is not far from Jerusalem and returned to Samaria here upon King Ahaz having been so thoroughly beaten by the Israelites sent to Tiglath Peleser king of the Assyrians and sued for assistance from him in his war against the Israelites and Syrians and Amasens with a promise to send him much money he sent him also great presence at the same time now this king upon the reception of those ambassadors came to assist Ahaz and made war upon the Syrians and laid their country waste and took Damascus by force and slew resin their king and transplanted the people of Damascus into the upper media and brought a colony of Assyrians and planted them in Damascus he also afflicted the land of Israel and took many captives out of it while he was doing thus with the Syrians King Ahaz took all the gold that was in the king's treasures and the silver and what was in the temple of God and what precious gifts there were and he carried them with him and came to Damascus and gave it to the king of Assyria according to his agreement so he confessed that he owed him thanks for all he had done for him and returned to Jerusalem now this king was so sadish and thoughtless of what was for his own good that he would not leave out worshiping the Syrian gods when he was beaten by them but he went on in worshiping them as though they would procure him the victory and when he was beaten again he began to honor the gods of the Assyrians and he seemed more desirous to honor any other gods than his own paternal and true God whose anger was the cause of his defeat nay, he proceeded to such a degree of despite and contempt of God's worship that he shut up the temple entirely and forbade them to bring in the appointed sacrifices and took away the gifts that had been given to it and when he had offered these indignities to God he died having lived 36 years and of them reigned 16 and he left his son Hezekiah for his successor End of book 9 chapters 11 and 12